Canada's Walk of Fame honours 1972 Summit Series team with star Special

Toronto
-
On the 40th anniversary of the Summit Series between Team Canada and Russia, the remaining survivors from that legendary Canadian squad were honoured with a star on Canada’s Walk of Fame on Friday in Toronto.

If one heads over to Nathan Phillips Square this weekend, you will see hockey legend Paul Henderson’s jersey from the historic 1972 Summit Series between Canada and Russia enshrined in a giant glass case. The jersey was worn the night Henderson scored the winning goal in game 8 that lives on in Canadian history.

A lot of people in the crowd, including the mayor and his brother, were just kids, but many of them remember sitting in a gymnasium with their peers watching the final game between the two countries. On Friday, a couple of hundred fans and lunchtime passersby and that iconic team reminisced about 1972.

Henderson and other members of Team Canada from 40 years ago were in Toronto for the third annual Canada’s Walk of Fame Festival. This year, Bobby Clarke, Rod Gilbert, Ken Dryden, Bill White, Dennis Hull and others from that team are being honoured with a star.

“We would not have won that series without the incredible support we received from Canadians,” recalled Henderson. “If you recall, we were a little behind, but our leader on and off the ice, Paul Esposito, stood up and gave us a little tune-up in Vancouver. And when we got to Moscow, we received so many postcards.”

Mayor Rob Ford, who received some boos when he came on stage, and Councillors James Pasternak and Doug Ford gave the retired players a plaque and scrolls. Henderson provided the mayor and the two councillors vintage Canadian hockey jerseys, which the Ford brothers immediately put on.

Other 2012 inductees include Randy Bachmann, Phil Hartman, Russ Jackson, Sarah McLachlin and Sonia Rodriguez. The 14th annual Canada’s Walk of Fame awards will take place Saturday and will be hosted by Paul Shaffer, David Letterman’s musical director,

The event celebrates Canadian achievement in the fields of art, sciences, sport, film and music.

Digital Journal covered the 2010 Canada’s Walk of Fame ceremony. For more information on the annual event, click here.

Paul Henderson's jersey from the 1972 Summit Series enshrined in a glass case for the third annual Canada's Walk of Fame Festival in Toronto.